A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an end flap alignment device for a carton folding and filling apparatus and a method of folding the carton end flaps of a carton.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Machines for folding and filling cartons are known in the packaging art. Typically, such a machine automatically sets up a flattened carton blank, fills it with ice cream or other material, and then closes the carton. These steps are performed in sequential fashion in response to the carton being filled to the desired degree. One type of folding and filling machine is known as an Anderson Model 555 machine, or simply an Anderson machine, and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,612,016. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,206,915 and 3,219,257 are directed to modifications of the Anderson machine disclosed in the '016 patent.
Due to the large number of carton flaps which must be folded and glued, such a machine requires a complex arrangement of parts and a multiplicity of manufacturing steps. In particular, the application of glue to carton flaps disposed in relatively transverse planes markedly complicates the problem of adhesively sealing the ends of the carton. It is therefore desirable to align the carton flaps in the same plane to enable glue to be applied thereto in the same motion, thereby reducing the number of steps and thus the cost involved in folding and sealing a carton.